Red Rabbit Report post Posted February 25, 2004 Last fall, my friend couldn't get to the Potholes area north of Mule Creek, because the rancher had the road blocked with his horse trailer. This was during the first rifle hunt. Is there another way to get there without crossing his ranch, that I don't see on the map? Doug/Red Rabbit Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Guest_bullwidgeon Report post Posted February 25, 2004 Yeah, on foot. According to the map it is about a 1500 foot descent and a 1000 foot climb. Overall a little more than 3 miles one way till you make the top. I think there might be easier ways coming in from the East but do not know them. I heard that the ranch will be turned over to the Nature Conservancy soon and that will completley eliminate all public access forever if they do anything like they did down on the San Pedro near Winkelman . Bret M. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
COUESAZ Report post Posted February 26, 2004 If there is any forest land back in that country They have to let you have a way in to it. I do not know were it is, but in Arizona forest land is ours to use and you should be able to gain passage by contacting the rancher. That is why it is important for all of us to be sure to help the ranchers out while in the field. To many of our unwanted hunters and bad sportsman have ruined it for those of us that would never damage our hunting land and the ranchers things. This year already i have come up on some pulled down gates. Next year we will not be getting in that area eather. I went to the rancher and talked to his wife who said i will always be welcome to run mountainlions on that ranch. Soi talk to some locals find the owner and tell him what you want. Even tell them you will let them know when you are going to be gone. I hope by doing that they will let you in. Good luck guy's. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Rabbit Report post Posted February 26, 2004 Bret- I considered the route down and up through the SF river canyon, but very briefly. Last year my friend had talked to the rancher at the gate and he had expressed some problems with some hunters. I'd hate to have his permission to drive through, and then have him block the road behind me to keep others out. Trying to meet him this summer(as opposed to the day of the hunt) could be beneficial. If the Nature Cons does take over, things might improve as I think hunting is still allowed on some of their properties. Maybe access depends on the type and sensitivity of the habitat. Doug/RedRabbit Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Diamondbackaz Report post Posted February 26, 2004 AZ Guide, you are wrong when you say a rancher has to let you have access to public lands through his private land. If a private land owner cuts off the only road going into an area, there isn't much you can do about it. Access is a major problem here in southern Arizona. I remember when a rancher cut off the only road going into the northeast side of the Winchesters. So the Game and Fish got together with the Forest Service to build a road around his ranch across state land coming in from Ash Canyon on the south side of the Galiuros. The rancher even fought that by trying to keep the road from being built. Unless there is a public right of way through the land the private land owner can lock the gate.// Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
COUESAZ Report post Posted February 26, 2004 As I read what I said again I guess I worded some things a bit wrong. I did not mean the rancher him self had to let you have a way through. I just know in the wetstones a friend of mine owns a big ranch It is the right of way to forest land. He locked it up one year because of bad sportsman. They told him if anyone contacted him by phone and sighned in at his home they had the right to get to the public land that he had a lease on behind his private land. I know the ranch next to his. has locked there gate and they do not have to let people in and it is public land behind them also. It is a fight every year with them and we usualy do not win that fight. So I guess I could be wrong in how i said it . I know that alot of the land in arizona has been loked up and the forest service is always trying to work it out with the ranchers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Diamondbackaz Report post Posted February 27, 2004 Are those the ranches on the north side of the Whetstones? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Ernesto C Report post Posted February 27, 2004 Unfortunally getting permit to cross private land is a problem and is getting worst. I'll put Az and Wy as an example. Some times we (the hunters) do not want to hunt this private land,what we want is a permission to cross their land so we can hunt BLM land but you can't cross their property and if you get caugth you are in big trouble. In Wy for example there is BIG sections of BLM land but surround it by private property you can't cross private land but the owners of this private lands they do use the BLM land for hunting and for their cattle etc.etc. like if they were the owners of this BLM land. Is every body ready to vote? God bless America but America please bless God. Ernesto C. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
COUESAZ Report post Posted February 27, 2004 Diamondbackaz Yes it is the post ranch that my friend owns. The other one is the rickitts mine area. I lived right down there all my life and just in the last 4 years you have had to get the combo from him to get in. The rickitts mine area holds some of the best coues deer I have seen in Arizona. they have not let very many people in there for a while now. I get in there by packing from the post ranch and hunting the monster canyons back deep in the wetstones. I would love to be able to get in the rickitts area by road to hunt deer, but most of all I would love to chase lions in there. I have seen some monster cat tracks back in those washes back there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Diamondbackaz Report post Posted February 27, 2004 (edited) The Whetstones are an excellent hunting opportunity. I have only hunted them once about 15 years ago in Apache Canyon coming in from the Empire Ranch. We would see deer down in the tall grass down in the Cienga Creek. Those roads coming in from the north has always been an issue with the Forest Service. Back in the early 90's when I worked for the Forest Service, the head man of the road crew made it a personal crusade to get a right of way in there. But he long since retired, and I don't know whats going on with that lately. I will talk to some people I know who might be able to give me some info. I heard a couple of years ago they wanted to build a road going into the haystack area but I never followed up with that. Edited January 1, 1970 by Diamondbackaz Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
COUESAZ Report post Posted February 27, 2004 (edited) Diamondbackaz I can get right to the bottom of hay stack from my friends ranch. I saw about 10 bucks out in there in december in two days. I know it is the only way to get there the ranch between it and the highway will not let you pass . We have taken some good bucks in that unit the last few years and just as many lions. You will tear up a truck getting to hay stack but It is a nice ride on the quads. some one started a road back in there last year with out the the ok of anyone. They tore up a big spot on the north side of haystack. They even cut in two new gates to get there road to that spot. So now it will be that much harder to gain the trust of that ranch from the j-6 side. The way i get in is from the post ranch. On all the topo maps it does not show the full road. The bad part is a few years of going back and getting good bucks draws a bunch of atention to an area if you know what i mean. so now lots of guys are trying to find the road all the way to the mountain . Edited January 1, 1970 by ARIZONA GUIDE Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Diamondbackaz Report post Posted February 27, 2004 That area will most likely see more impact especially from the dirt bikers and other offroaders as the area to the east of there (Total Wreck and the Narrows area) has gotten a lot of use. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
